


CN Noir

by 0Frite0



Category: Ben 10 Series, Cartoon Network Universe, Dexter's Laboratory, Ed Edd n Eddy, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Johnny Test (Cartoon), Powerpuff Girls, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Cartoon Network - Freeform, Crime, F/M, Gen, Murder, Mystery, noir
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 09:50:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1894548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0Frite0/pseuds/0Frite0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A murderer has killed Ben Tennyson, a popular character on the stream, and murder detectives Garfield (Formerly known as Beast Boy) and Mandy are the first ones on the scene.  Meanwhile, defense attorney Blossom Utonium is caught right in the middle of the mystery after a humiliating case sends her to reconnect with her sister.  And finally, Ed is a ex-con looking for a way to get rich quick, only to find himself stuck in between a powerful scientist and the killer himself.  Can these three find out who is behind this gruesome murder, or is the stream doomed to be destroyed?</p>
<p>[What is CN Noir?  CN Noir is a murder mystery set within the Cartoon Network Universe.  It was a fun little CYOA project I did a while back on 4chan.  I posted the characters, and then let /co/ choose the choices I laid out for them.  I couldn't really keep it going though, so I decided to make it a regular fanfiction.  The story is told through three main protagonists: Beast Boy from Teen Titans, Ed from Ed, Edd n' Eddy and Blossom from The Powerpuff Girls.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beast Boy 01

-Beast Boy-

There’s something serene about listening to the rain against your car. It's like each little drop is a suicide bomber for some kind of Imperial water collective in the sky, yet they don’t know how their violent deaths just really put me into a state of tranquility. These nights I need that tranquility. Especially now. Especially with Mandy.

I can see her from the rain soaked windshield. She’s in Pop’s diner getting something health conscious. I’ve always tried to see her mouth the words ‘thank you’ to Pops or Ed, but it never seems to happen. That’s not how Mandy is. Hell, the whole city knows that.

I’m leaning back in our unmarked squad car, listening to recent news from the stream. The typical calls are going out all over Townsville. Typical bull shit. The kind of low-level crime that has steadily increased since Blossom and her sisters retired. I try not to think about it… Hell, I try to think much about anything outside the stream.

Mandy is making her way back. I smirk to myself, looking at her attire. Mandy is a dark, joyless woman. Yet, for some fucking reason… She always seems to draw towards the color pink. Her suit is all black, but there’s that undershirt hidden underneath with a bright pink hue that would never match the temperament of my bitter, pissed off, sarcastic bitch of a partner.

She opens the door and quickly slides in, giving me a quick glance before staring forward. She then reaches forward and cuts off the stream news, “Turn up the CB. We’re working Garfield.”

I give her a good stare for a moment before I open the door, the sudden rush of rain filling my long green ears. I don’t need her sass this early in our shift. She doesn't even look at me as I start to get out. I sigh as I mutter out, “I’m gonna get some coffee.”

The streets are mostly empty. Townsville is usually a bustling city by day, but at night it almost feels like everyone is gone. It's almost as if the city were abandoned when the darkness cascades over the once happy streets. Maybe its because the Powerpuff Girls are gone, but... This city has changed. Each building hosts a series of windows that show nothing but dark, empty rooms, vacant of what I would like to call life and comfort. Are there even any people in there? Being a cop is hard in this town. There are never any witnesses in Townsville. At least after 10 PM…

I do a light jog across the street and push open the front door. Pops is sitting behind the counter as he always is, Ed working diligently behind him. I frown when I see Ed. He was always a very submissive person, even though he's now built like an ox. First with Eddy and now with Pops.

Pops jerks his head violently towards him as Ed spills mop water from the bucket on the floor. “Ed, you idiot! Mop that up boy and start over! You just made my floors dirty again.”

"O-ok Pops."

“Hey Pops, leave the kid alone huh?” I ask a bit gently. I’m not sure if Pops ever thought of me differently as a cop before, but seeing the way he looked at me now, I could tell he was in no mood to respect me or my badge.

“Do you employ this idiot Beast Boy?”

“No, but you don’t gotta treat your employees like garbage. He works hard man…” Ed lifts his solemn gaze up at me. He gives a pathetic pouty lip, bringing me back to the days when he was in the stream.

Pops gave me a snarl. I had heard that Pops was a kind, respectful man from others around town. But ever since he moved to Townsville, the man has shown nothing but harshness and venom. I rub my temples, looking down for a moment to process this sudden headache I have from that name. I lift my eyes to him with my own snarl, bringing out a bit of the beast I promised to keep to myself, “And don’t fucking call me that Pops.” I answer back with my own snarl.

Pops takes a step back, his hand reaching underneath the counter. Ed is looking on, bewildered as he always seems to be.

I suddenly hear the screech of tires. Mandy has floored the car from out of the alley, pulling it up alongside the curb. I turn away from Pops for a moment, parting the door to see what has gotten her excited.

She rolls down the window giving a loud yell, “Let's go Garfield! We got a call. It's a bad one.”

I give Mandy a grimace as she sits waiting for me. If she needed me that bad, maybe she shouldn’t have struck up an attitude. I release the door, looking back to Pops. “What the fuck are you d-” I hear her yelp out as the door shuts closed. As I focus in back at Pops, I notice he has placed a large revolver on the counter. Ed has backed away towards the kitchen. Even he knows what this conversation is evolving into.

“Have a license for that hand cannon Pops?” I ask, my pointy tooth poking from my lips in a wicked smile. Intimidation works best when you’re unpredictable. And I have been anything but for as long as I can remember. My hands are stuffed into my coat pockets. I can hear Mandy slamming the car door to come in and get me.

Pops seems hesitant. Its obvious from his face he’d like nothing better than to blow my head off, but I know he couldn’t do it. Sweat trails down his forehead as he looks to me and then the gun. Back and forth…

The door swings open and Mandy comes inside. She takes no notice of me or the gun, but instead just walks over to Pops casually. She takes him by the scruff and slams his head down into the counter, “You are threatening an officer of the law with a firearm. Idiots like you have been killed for less.”

Pops squeaks out, “Arg, I-I’m sorry!”

Mandy turns towards me. She starts walking past me until I feel a sudden pain in one of my elvish ears. She yanks at it, pulling me along out the door, “Ow ow ow ow ow!” I grunt out. This is feeling familiar.

Once outside, I get free.

“Fuck, Raven stop! That hurts!”

Mandy pauses, looking back at me with a curious yet annoyed look on her face. “Raven? Garfield, look… We got a call. And as much as I’d completely LOVE to see you die as stupidly as you were about to, we have work to do and I don’t need to train a new partner.” She stops, taking a small breath, “Ben Tennyson has been murdered.”

I pause. That can’t be. At once, all the memories of Raven dissipate and my mind starts clicking things together. Ben can’t be dead. He’s still present on the stream. I say as much to Mandy, “But, doesn’t he have a new show on the stream? Who would do that?”

“I don’t know.” Mandy says slowly, “But fucking around with Pops and Ed isn’t going to get us anywhere in picking up this case. The call just went out, and I’ll be damned if that asshole Eddy gets it.”

I nod as she makes her ultimatum. Mandy is right, I can’t keep dicking around here if the case is as serious as she says. I make my way for the passenger door and let myself in. Mandy circles around the car, a bit of a jog in her step. She always hated Eddy with a passion, and the thought of Eddy getting to such a big case as this seemed to put a liveliness in her I had never seen before.

I got a glimpse of Ed and Pops as I buckled my seat. Pops seemed to breath a sigh of relief, and then instantly turn back to Ed. The spit blasting from his big, unseemly mouth seemed to dictate that Pops was back to yelling at the poor bastard. I could almost hear him over the rain...

As she hopped in, I turned the CB up, listening for more information about the call. Mandy was already flooring it down the street as more information came in. ‘Ben Tennyson, white male, age twenty five, Stream present. I repeat Stream present!’

Even the radio Op seemed to be taken aback by the news. Someone in the stream doesn’t just get murdered. Sure, you can kill him, but why the fuck would you? It messes up the system for the rest of us.

Mandy suddenly spoke up, “Since we have some time before we get there… Who’s Raven?”

I pause for a moment, collecting my thoughts. Mandy flipped on the siren. Suddenly the interior of the car was cascaded in blue and red. The sound of the siren above sounded distant, but in reality it was right above me. It was how I felt about Raven. In reality, I had no idea where she was, but I never had anyone so close to my heart. “Raven is… Was someone very close to me. Things got out of hand when the Titans split up after the stream ended. I still keep in touch with a few of them but… Departing with Raven was the hardest.”

I look to Mandy. She wasn’t even looking at me, her narrow eyes still fixated on the road. She took a quick turn, the wheels sliding along the slick pavement below.

I continue regardless, “After the stream ended. She had to… Go away. That’s all I wanna say about that.” I mutter out, lowering my head. I feel my chest heave up as the memories flow freely within, the yearning to hold her in my arms again is so strong it almost hurts. I sigh, leaning back in the chair.

Mandy says nothing. She only glances at me for a moment before pulling up on the curb. Two boys in blue are standing outside. Their side-characters, I don’t really recognize them.

I get out of the car, looking towards the apartment they have sealed off. So far it seems like we’re the first two here. I turn towards the street cop.

“Witnesses?” I ask the cop, stepping away from the car. He lifts a hand to his head, giving a sigh.

“Not much, as usual. We got one person who says she saw Ben and the suspect going in together. It sounds like Ben knew the perp.”

“What’s her name?” I ask, looking towards where the other cop is speaking to her. She’s an old woman, fat yet seemingly active enough to move around. I can’t quite place her…

“Muriel Bagge.”

“THE Muriel?” I ask. She lived in Nowhere last I had heard. I can place her now. Despite still being fat, the years haven’t been kind to her. Maybe it was the lack of sun from the desert, but she looked paler, more saggy. I didn’t see Courage either. I hope he didn’t...

“Yeah, she says she moved her after the divorce. She was carrying home groceries before she heard the shot.”

I turn back to Mandy. Her eyes are focused on the apartment itself. She crosses her arms, shaking head head as I walk up to her. “This one is already weird. I can tell.” She says, looking towards me. I have a hard time looking at Mandy in the eyes. Her intensity usually puts me off or I have to divert them, but now I can see it… The worry. Mandy knows this is bad. If there’s a killer out there offing people who are in the stream, then it’s a threat to all of us. And if he or she kills again?

Mandy sighs, “It's a message of some sort. Killing Ben means you don’t like the way the stream is going. The perp is making a statement.”

I chip in, “Problem is, we don’t know what the perp would prefer. There are a lot of people out there, old and new, who have opinions on what the Stream should be.

“Yeah, but they don’t kill someone to say it. Why damage the world with such a brash action? The perp has to realize he’s part of it.”

“Maybe he’s crazy,” I say, turning to face the apartment.

“That’s too simple. They targeted Ben because his new show just premiered. He was working again. The time frame just adds too much to the motive.”

I sigh, “Well, Ben knew the perp. So we should probably start with friends of Tennyson.”

“People liked Ben 10?” 

I snort at that, walking towards the apartment with a smile. I can’t see it, but I just know Mandy is smirking right behind me.

I head over to Muriel as Mandy makes her way inside. Mandy and I always had good chemistry on the job. I guess you could say we had a pretty obvious good cop-bad cop dynamic going. If we wanted to make a suspect sweat, she’d be the one talking. Right now though, I had to make Muriel calm so that I could get everything I needed from her. I approached slowly, waiting for the other cop to step away. “Miss Bagge? Could I ask you some questions?”

“Oh sure deary~! I don’t mind a bit.” The cheerfulness threw me off more than I thought her Scottish accent would. Still, I smiled my toothy smile and shook her hand, continuing.

“My name is Detective Logan. I work for TPD. Could you please tell me what you saw?”

“Well, I was on me wee way home from the store to pick up some things. I saw Ben, such a nice young boy, and a metallic looking man walking inside together.”

“Did Ben seem worried about this encounter?”

 

“Not at all! The lad seemed excited more like. He was ushering the metallic man inside, eager to continue talking.”

“When did you hear the shot?”

“When I got to my front door. I was fussing about with my keys, trying to get in when I heard one loud shot. Eustace used to carry a shotgun round, so I know what a gun sounds like.”

“Did the metallic man come out front?”

“Nope. I peeked from my window to watch him leave as I called the police, but he never did.”

I look at her for a moment. While it’s odd how casual she is about all this, Muriel has seen a number of strange things in her life. It's not very clear how complicit she could be.

I shake her hand again, “Thank you Miss Bagge, we’ll be in touch.” I doubt we’ll interview her again. She seems harmless. I turn away from Muriel as she strikes up what seems to be an exhausting unrelated conversation with the street cop. Poor guy is too polite, because he seems to be listening.

I step inside the apartment, stuffing my hands inside my coat pockets. As soon as I step in, I turn to the right. Ben had a makeshift living area next to his kitchen. His body was laying frontwards, head slammed into the glass of the television. Mandy is kneeled down in front of the body. She has an intense look on her face as she studies the crime scene.

“He fall into the TV?” I ask, kneeling down with her.

“Doubtful. There’s a blood splatter on the TV that couldn’t be from a hand-to-hand wound. He was shot then shoved inside. Looks like he was messing with the TV when the bullet blew his brains out.”

“So, putting his head in the television is another message huh?” I add up.

Mandy doesn’t answer. She just leans in to look at the body. “Ben was facing away from the perk when he was shot. His eye is blown out.” She takes a gloved hand and turns his head towards me to see. I nod as she lays it back. His neck creaks with rigor mortis.

“Muriel say anything useful?” She asks me.

“Metallic. I’m guessing either our perp is a robot or someone wearing armor.”

“That sure narrows it down.” She says sarcastically. I snicker at that, standing up straight.

“I’m going to check around the house.” Mandy doesn’t answer. She’s too involved in working out the body and how it fell. I turn away from her, heading towards the kitchen. I take hold of the fridge door with my hand still inside the pocket and pull it open. The soft whirr of the refrigerator peppers the silence of the crime scene. Looking inside I see nothing of note. There wasn’t any liquor. Perhaps Ben wasn’t expecting his metallic guest...

I turn from the kitchen and make my way upstairs. Peeking into the bedroom, I look around for clues. There are a number of posters hung up on the wall, all showing Tennyson’s achievements and shows. I had lost count how many times Ben’s show got rebooted or sequalized. It didn’t really matter though, Ben was making due. I huff, trying to find something of interest. There are a pile of magazines on the bed with a bag and a receipt. Nothing too crazy, just video games and anime mags. Ben was probably getting his influences fresh.

I turn away from the room, slipping into the bathroom. It looked fairly clean. It was surprising because I had always pictured Ben as rather immature. Sort of like me when I was with the Titans-

I carefully open the medicine cabinet and look inside. Nothing of note really, just some aspirin and cold medicine.

I make my way back downstairs. Mandy looks grumpy. I turn to find Eddy standing before me. He is standing in a white suit, all flash, all parody. I can’t even take him seriously. I squint my eyes at him, as if his suit were blinding me.

“What’s up fuckers?” He says, giving his big stupid grin that stretches past his fucking face.

I turn away from Eddy and look at Mandy. She was glaring at him, but as soon as she sees me ignore the cunt. She’s all business. I smirk to myself. Mandy knows me too damn well. She follows suit, acting as if he wasn’t even there, “So, anything of note upstairs?”

“Hey.”

“Not that I can tell,” I say. “There were some recently bought magazines. Anime, videos games and the like. I think Ben was trying to get back in character.”

“Hey assholes.”

“What about you?” I ask, biting my lip as Mandy smirks at me.

“FUCK-”

“The scene is pretty self-explanatory. I’m not totally convinced we’re dealing with a robot, but I think we have enough to go on and investigate.”

“-ERS”

Eddy is getting impatient. Which is perfect. I want to desperately turn to him to look at his face, to relish in the great way Eddy gets pissed off. But I hold. Like a Legionnaire on the battlefield, I wait for the barbarian.

Mandy is holding as well. I nod towards the stairs, having her follow me as we make our way upstairs. “There’s some stuff upstairs I need you to look at. Ben has an amazing collection of posters.” She follows. I feel like a Teen Titan again. Goofing around with Cyborg. Mandy wasn’t laughing, but her smile was always a sight to see. We make our way to the top of the stairs, about to turn into his room.

“BEN’S FUCKING OMNITRIX WAS SENT TO THE STATION!”

We stopped when we heard that. Mandy turns towards Eddy. “When?”

Eddy crosses his arms, pouting. He is still such a fucking cartoon. “Why should I tell you assholes?”

“Because Eddy.” Mandy takes a step towards him, stepping down from the stairs. “Because if this shit happened yesterday. If you had this in your possession, a tool that Ben uses on his show in the stream, I’m going to beat you within an inch of your life.”

Eddy pauses at that. The look on his face tells it all.

“Oh my fucking God Eddy, why didn’t you say anything?” I asked, running my hands through my hair. This was bad. If we had warning… If we had time…

Mandy was none too pleased. She continued towards him, step by step, as calm as always. She wasn’t walking past Eddy though, she was going right for him. I knew what that meant.

I give a grunt as I rush down the stairs to stop her. I side jump from the last stair to her side, reaching out and grabbing her by the shoulders. Her hands come out like claws, ready to tear into Eddy like he was a piece of meat. Her teeth grit, her eyes are afire, yet her tone never raises. It never gets loud when Mandy is pissed. It only gets frightening.

“Do you realize what kind of shit you could have prevented with that clue? If something is sent to the god damn police station, its probably a threat. And what greater piece of evidence against Ben Tennyson would there be than the fucking tool that gives him powers?” Mandy became looser in my arms. She gave an exhale, lifting her hand to her face. “Ok… Well, at least we know that he wants us to see his crimes. He’s putting on a show, trying to get us to challenge him. Which means that when this shit happens again,” She glares at Eddy, “And it will, we’ll be able to bring the victim into protective custody before anything can be done.”

I lower my hand from Mandy as she calms down. Though I’m not even sure if she ever lost her cool.

Eddy seems distant. He’s looking outside towards the squad cars, watching as a crowd builds around the yellow tape. Not long now. This case will be all over the news in a few hours.

Mandy looks towards me, raising her brows, “What now?”

I look towards the back, making my way to check the door to the backyard. Mandy and Eddy follow, Eddy lagging behind in the back. I reach for the door handle to the backyard, twisting it to find it unlocked. I give Mandy a look.

“Well, at least we know where the perp went.” She says as I open the door. The light from inside spills onto the bare, lifeless backyard. Its a small backyard, with basically just a small patch of grass covering it. There’s a grill in the corner and a high wooden fence that stretches around the property. I reach into my inner coat pocket and pull out my flashlight. The three of us step onto the lawn, looking around for clues.

Eddy seems to be interested in the grill. He pokes and prods at it, not really doing anything worthwhile. I’m guessing Mandy’s little spat made him feel a bit stupid. Mandy had that effect on people sometimes. God knows I’ve had that feeling before, but I wasn’t about to pity the bastard. He fucked up and he knows it. Let him sulk in his failure for a bit.

Mandy seemed focused on the grass. My take was that she was looking for a gun, but I doubt the killer would make such an amateur move. My guess is that he’d keep the gun to either use it again or destroy it.

I started around the high fence, kicking at boards. I came to the middle of one section and found a loose one. I whistle over to Mandy and she nods, walking over. “So, that’s how he got out.”

“He could’ve jumped the fence-” Eddy began, but before he could finish a police trooper stepped out back.

“Detectives, Chief is calling in. He’s saying they just got sent another clue.”

“I’ll take the call.” I make my way back through the house, getting a good look at Tennyson as the forensics guys start to make their way inside. Out on the street, a crowd is building. People are asking questions, showing their fear. They know what this means as much as we do.

I see one of the patrol men standing outside his squad car. He has a radio in his hand ready for me to take. I walk over to him, dodging some loud questions coming from the press. Giving a sigh, I take the radio from the cop, “This is Logan.”

“Logan, this is the Chief. Eddy filled me in on the way here what’s happened.”

“Did he now?” I say sarcastically, looking towards the front door of the apartment as I watch Eddy and Mandy emerge from the entrance. Neither can stand to look at each other. “I hear you’ve got another one.”

“Yep. Its in the same style of packaging, but I don’t know what the significance is.”

“Well, what is it?” I ask, scratching behind one of my ears.

“Mustard. Just a plain bottle of mustard. What do you think?”

Mustard.. Mustard.

Mandy comes up next to me. She has an annoyed look on her face. Her face changes into something different as soon as she sees me, something which looks like fear. Her mouth comes agape as he raises a hand to my shoulder, giving me a light shake. “Garfield, what is it? Gar…”

It has clicked but I don’t recognize it. I can’t process it. My mind is refusing what my gut tells me.

I drop the radio, my hands are shaking. I can hear chief on the other line. He’s yelling my name. “Logan? LOGAN!”

I’m a mess by the time I get the phone in my hands. My prior instincts seem to be catching up with me. I wanna shift, I wanna turn into a cheetah and dart over to her. I want to save her. The phone feels like its going to slip from my grasp, I’m shaking so hard. My legs quiver as I try to stand straight.

I manage to find her number, pressing on the talk button to call her. I raise the phone to my ear, breathing heavily as I await for her voice.

I have time. I have time. She’s fine.

Mandy grabs the radio from where it hangs, lifting it to her mouth, “Chief, Garfield knows the next victi- Uh… The next person in danger. He’s calling her now. Garfield? Garfield! Who is it?”

“Mmf~... H-hello?” Comes a voice on the phone. She’s alive. Oh my God, she’s alive.

“S-Starfire? Kori, are you ok?” I quiver out. My voice cracks in a way that I haven’t heard it since I was in the tower. Since I was in Jump City.

Mandy is quick on the uptake. “Chief, its Starfire. Get a squad of troopers over to Starfire’s house now.”

Eddy walks over to see what all the fuss is about. He’s dangling a toothpick in his mouth, looking very nonchalant.

“Beast Boy? Mm, I’m all for catching up my friend, but it is rather late.”

“Starfire. I need you to get up and get ready to leave.”

“What’re you talking about? Beast Boy, what’s wrong?”

“Starfire, try and get to the police station. We need to protect you.” I stammer out, sitting down inside the squad car as I try to muster my courage. By her pause, I can tell she’s confused. My throat holds in my throat. She’s going to hang up on me.

“Beast Boy? What are you saying? Why would you need to protect me, I’m a super-”

“T-there’s a killer after you Starfire. He already managed to get Tennyson’s Omnitrix away from him and… Kill him. Ben Tennyson is dead Starfire, and you’ve been targeted as next. So please, get dressed and get to the police station as fast as you can. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Starfire pauses again, taking a deep breath, “You know, normally I’d think you were pranking me, but those days seem so far away now, don’t they?”

It was my turn to pause then. I lower my head, letting out a small laugh as I lift my hand to my head. “Please Starfire, get to the station. Please.”

“I’m getting ready. I’ll see you soon Beast Boy.” She says softly.

She hangs up at that point. I would have liked to keep listening to her. Hell, I could have listened to her speak up until the moment I saw her at the station. Was I being overly worried? Starfire was a super hero, there’s no way a normal person could take her down. I look up to Mandy. She was looking at me, watching me in my pathetic wretch of a condition as the thoughts of losing another Titan…

“Beast Boy… You’re crying.” Mandy whispers. I lift my hand to my face, wiping the tears away. I can’t do this. Not now, not here… Not in front of her. She’ll never let it go. She will think I’m weak. She’ll…

“Don’t call me Beast Boy.”


	2. Blossom 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Blossom's first chapter. Blossom is a defense attorney hoping to defend the ignorant Billy from being charged with public indecency. Can she win the case against the sly, sexy Jack?]

-Blossom-

I’m going to lose this case.

I already know it. Its a shoe-in for Jack. He has me beat. Looking through my files I can see that there’s so much evidence stacked against Billy that arguing my case is going to be an impossibility.

I sigh, looking to my defendant. Billy hadn’t changed much since he was younger. Mandy says he hasn’t changed at all, but that’s not true. He’s taller and fatter, much like his dad was I’m told. His hair sprouts out from his old red hat, giving him the impression of a high school stoner or metal head. But in reality, Billy was well into his twenties now, so he should’ve gotten over shit like this. Why oh why did it have to be Billy?

Red Guy speaks up, “Mmm, the accused is charged with disorderly conduct by public nudity. How does the defendant stand?”

I stand up, “Not guilty your honor.”

“Oh really?” He gives his weird, sickening grin. Red Guy hadn’t changed AT ALL last I saw him. He was still the chubby little devil that loved to cause pranks and mayhem. I think the whole city of Townsville seemed to miss the irony of making him a judge, besides me of course. As he spoke, he leaned from the booth. His tail stuck out as his round red ass came into view, adding more to the irony that he was trying a public nudity case.

I sigh, looking over to the prosecutor. Jack had changed a lot… Meaning he became a lot more handsome. I spent my teenage years drooling over old episodes of Samurai Jack that came in from the Stream. He stood in a pinstripe suit, grey hair frosting at his side burns and short hair. He looked so good today... But he was my opponent. I shouldn’t be thinking like that.

Dammit Blossom, get your shit together.

“Opening statement Ms. Utonium?” Red Guy asked. I stood up, facing the jury. What was my opening statement going to be?

I take a deep breath, contemplating every argument I have against this case. You got this Blossom, there’s no need to worry. Suddenly I feel that thing seize up in my gut, and I give a small quiver. I feel my knees buckle and I want to sit back down. I look to Red Guy with a weak smile, “L-Let Jack go first.”

Red Guy just grins wide with amusement. God, I hate that smile. There are certain characters, certain cartoons that stretch their mouths beyond their face in a way that just makes me flinch. Red Guy is one of those types. I sit down quickly, looking down at my desk.

“It’s ok Blossom. I’d be scared too.”

“Shut the fuck up Billy.” I whisper, giving him a quick glance of annoyance. He gives a small yipe and sinks into his chair. As I’m looking at Billy, Jack’s body rises up. He takes slow, careful steps towards the jury, making sure they get a good look at him. That sly mother fucker. Jack knows he’s devilishly handsome and he uses it to his advantage. It doesn’t help that we have nearly a full female jury.

“Ladies… And some gentlemen, of the jury. You look before this man. A grown man I might add and think, ‘Oh he doesn’t know better, he’s just a kid at heart, he wouldn’t hurt a fly…’” Fuck you Jack. Its like he’s reading my mind. “I say to you that Billy is well aware of his actions and must take accountability for them. This is a new day of Townsville. We aren’t young kids anymore, desperate to adventure out into the Stream. We’re all adults with responsibilities and hardships. Billy should go to jail for exposing himself to men, women and children. And that is what I’m here to do today. To make sure that the weirdos like him learn proper respect and law. Thank you.”

He walks back to his seat.

Red Guy gives an alluring smile to Jack, “Just wonderful Jackie. You never fail to disappoint. BLOSSOM!”

I rise up out from my seat, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury… I’d like you to reflect on our upbringing. We’re all products of the stream, something that the prosecution would rather forget if his opening statement is anything to go by.” Jack sticks his tongue out at me. I feel a tingle in my spine as I continue, “We have a duty to remember ourselves as the people we were, less we forget and cast aside what made us live this long. We are cartoons. From the very beginning. Billy has always been… An interesting character within our lineup. It’s not his fault he was created this way. That’s just how he IS.” I take a moment to step around my desk.

“Haven’t we all had our nudity scenes inside the Stream? Billy may be an adult, yes, but if you think back to what kind of person he was before; Is him being an adult any different? It’s not like he was trying to let loose some kind of sick, sexual fetish. I know the man. I know his friends. He’s not like that. All in all, Billy is just… Dumb.” There’s a pause at that. Red Guy chortles from behind the stand. 

“Hear me out. For as long as we’ve been around, we’ve had those airhead characters. You know, the ones who just do their thing without consequence because that’s how the story is told. Billy never ‘grew out’ of that because that’s how he was made. To entertain. How can we suppress his nature?”

I pause again, “Convicting my client of indecent exposure is an insult to the tradition we’ve laid out for ourselves. Billy should go free.”

Red Guy nods as I finish. “Ok Blossom, that was good! Who ya bringin’ to the stand baby?”

“I call Mandy to the stand.” I hope that this is a right decision. Mandy had a tendency to be brutal and harsh when it came to discussing Billy. It seemed like she hated the man. In a… Loving way, I guess. The two were inseparable back in their youth, but when Mandy became a detective for the TPD the distance started to spread them apart. Her new position was how Blossom met her. The two had a mutual acquaintance with a defendant, and they became ‘friends’ soon afterwards. Though, being friends with Mandy wasn’t really something to be proud or happy with.

I watch as Mandy comes out from the back room. I expected her to be annoyed or angry, but her expression was… Passive? I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her since last night. It sounded like their latest case was an odd one, but she’s couldn’t elaborate further. She sat down at the stand, looking up towards me with her mouth parted. The look in her eyes…

It was surreal, Mandy never looked like this. If there was a consistent emotion with the girl is that she was a complete little ball of annoyance and contained rage. I come forward towards her stand, holding a pad in my hand as I prepare my questions for the girl. I look to both Red Guy and Jack, and they too seem to notice the oddity in Mandy’s behavior. I finally come before her, leaning in.

Mandy’s personal problems never really have affected her work before. There’s no reason to start thinking they would now. I pull back a bit, watching her as her eyes dart down towards the floor below the stand.

“Mandy?”

“Huh?” She lifts her head to me as I address her. He brows are raised…

“How do you feel about these accusations of public indecency?”

Mandy pauses for a moment, then speaks, “Indecency? Oh, uhm… With Billy?” I look at her dumbfounded. Is this a different person? She seems very distracted. “Well uh… Billy has always been indecent. I’ve known him for years, and honestly seeing him naked is nothing new.” Mandy gets a few snickers from the jury.

“Objection your honor, are we really going to listen to the witness’s trysts as proof of evidence to his upstanding behavior?”

“No no, not like that you idiot.” Old Mandy snaps back into her for a moment. Her brows furrow in an angry snarl, leaning forward into the chair. Jack actually sits down by her glare alone. Red Guy doesn’t even have to say anything. I smile to myself, pushing my notes up to my mouth to block it. Oh yes Mandy, tear into him. Even if I lose this case, that’ll be worth it. “Billy is-Was my best friend. And throughout the time I’ve known him, his nudity has been a constant reminder that I’m friends with a complete imbecile that couldn’t possibly harm a fly. Nor could he go out in public with his fucking dick out to show it to children for the purpose of getting a hard on. If you fucking knew Billy, then you’d know that this entire procedure is pointless for two reasons. A, because it’s Billy. And B, because it’s going to happen again. So what’s the fucking point of sending him to jail for something he will never learn?”

I forgot how much she swears.

“As a cop, do you feel Billy is a threat to others?”

Mandy leans forward, like she was begging for this question. “Let me tell you something. There are things out there that I’d RATHER be getting to as actual threats, but instead I agreed to be your witness Blossom. And now, I’m sitting here defending a person who shouldn’t even have been arrested, but rather just given a spanking and sent on his way.” I blush a bit at her jab at me. Mandy doesn’t care who she’s stabbing at if its helping her point.

“Do I feel Billy is a threat- No, of course I fucking don’t. Billy is just a child in a man’s body. He never grew up, he never got better, he’s the same. He doesn’t deserve different treatment just because pubes started to grow on his balls.”

I hear a sniffle behind me. Oh God Billy, hush. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said about me!”

Mandy rolls her eyes, sitting back in her chair, “See what I mean? Harmless.”

I give a nod of approval, stepping away from the stand to approach my table. Billy is still sniffling when I get there, wiping tears from his eyes. I give a sly, sensual look to Jack, tossing my hair a bit to rub it in, “Your witness.~”

Jack just smirks at me. He stands up, approaching the bench step by step like he usually does. He stops in front of Mandy, giving her a sly smile, “What did you mean about ‘WAS’ your friend.”

“Huh?” Mandy blinks, “What are you talking about?”

“Earlier you said that Billy was your friend. He’s not your friend anymore?”

Mandy looks annoyed, “No I-”

“Did something happen? Were the two of you romantically involved?”

I stand up, my palms on the table, "Objection! Relevance?"

Jack turns towards the Red Guy, “Your honor, I’m trying to decipher if the witness is biased in her questioning. Heck, she’s already an unreliable witness for being friends with the accused, but if I can establish that the two were lovers-”

“We were never lovers you cunt!” Mandy reaches for the collar of his cuff, pulling him towards her. The two meet eye to eye, Mandy bearing down in Jack with a hard glare, “Billy is and always will be just a friend. There will never be any kind of romance there, because the very thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. I may just vomit right in your face Jack…” Mandy releases him.

“Also, if you must know I’ve arrested Billy before. For the same case. I’m required to by law, and every time I bring him in I have to explain to lawyers like you that such a conviction isn’t necessary. This entire ordeal is pointless. I’m a cop first and a friend second, and as a cop I see no more hard in Billy than I would a fly.” She crosses her arms at that, looking away from him.

Jack composes himself, straightening his suit as he steps back from Mandy. Jack was never the type to be taken off guard. Hell, he was a samurai ever since he was a child. There was a tact and patience within him that couldn’t be matched, so to see him be taken so off guard was quite the scene.

“N-No more questions.”

I smirk, watching as Jack departs from the stand somewhat defeated. But as he returns to his desk, he prepares, cycling through his paperwork. Mandy is excused in that moment. She gives me a small look before she leaves, both cold and angry. Why was she glaring at me for? She said she’d defend him. I give a sigh of relief as the Red Guy calls recess.

I notice that Jack is looking at me. I realize that he’s looking at me UP and DOWN. Is he checking me out? Now?

I look to Billy. “Billy, I want you to think hard about all the things you have planned for saying once you’ve gotten on the stand. Can you do that?”

“Ok.”

“Now forget them. Forget all about them. I’m going to go talk to Mandy.”

“Ok!”

I leave Billy by himself, kicking his feet. I make my way out of the courtroom, peeking through the double doors for Mandy. I can see her down the hall, making her way for the exit of the Townsville courthouse. I keep pursuit, trailing after her, “Hey Mandy! Hey!” She doesn’t turn around. Instead, she just keeps going, pushing the doors open to the outside and disappearing into the rain.

I follow right behind her, cursing as the rain catches me off guard. I spot her sitting underneath a patio by the street, smoking a cigarette. I make my way towards her, keeping my hands above my head to shield me from the rain. I make a jump with my powers, flying next to her. Its hard to hear over the rain, so I have to yell, “Mandy, what’s wrong?” I ask, wiping some rain off my business attire. I land next to her, lifting a hand to her shoulder.

She nudges me off, “Nothing.”

“That’s not true. Something is wrong. I can tell.”

“It’s fucking nothing, alright?” She says, turning back to me, “Last night was one of the worst nights of my life. My partner is in a state of emotional collapse and there’s someone on the loose I’m not sure we can stop. I’m fucking nervous, ok? And you bringing me in to talk about how fucking stupid Bill is isn’t helping!” She yells at me through the rain, tossing the cigarette into the gutter. 

I pause at the mention of Garfield. My hands fall to your side, “W-what happened to Gar?”

“Mandy lifts her hand to her temples, rubbing them as she gives a long sigh. “Nothing, I’m not even supposed to be talking about this, so let it go.” She seems to think about it. She pauses once with her mouth open, then closes it as if she changed her mind. She then turns to me, her mouth parted from a small quiver, “Whoever he is, he’s targeting friends and family of cops now. Or maybe he isn’t… It’s all kind of random, but…”

“This has to do with the Tennyson murder last night, doesn’t it?”

Mandy nods, “You probably realize how bad things could get if this fucks up the Stream. And if he’s targeting family… Blossom, I know I put on a hard exterior.” She looks down to a growing puddle of water below her. The rain keeps tumbling down on us both, yet everything feels so silent in this moment. She looks distant, but at her most vulnerable, “I can’t lose him Blossom. Neither of them. Billy is family and Garfield…”

“But what happened Mandy?”

“We got a warning in the mail yesterday pointing towards one of the Titans being murdered. We have the victim in custody now, so they’re safe, but the way Garfield acted at the thought of the person dying… I’ve never seen him like that.”

She stops at that point. I’m staring at her with a growing look of concern. I can tell how I must look, because Mandy looks at me and snorts, “I guess this is pretty out of character huh?” She then sits down on the bench under the patio, pulling out another cigarette.

I don’t really know what to say. I sit down next to her, giving her a quick glance for a moment. She looks over to me, “What?”

“Could I have one of those?” She rolls her eyes, reaching into her coat pocket to pull out a smoke. She hands me both the smoke and the lighter, and I light up. I inhale slowly, getting used to the smoky flavor again. Jeez, I haven’t smoked a cigarette since I was a teenager. I remember going through my ‘rebellious stage’ with Buttercup, going to shows, hooking up with boys… I smile fondly, remembering it.

I catch Mandy looking at me. She smiles, “You know, I’m a vegan now… And It's kind of funny how I can be so health conscious at one time while polluting my lungs another.” She looks at the cigarette, exhaling a fresh puff of billowy smoke. “Its like I’m trying to balance my life. Keep everything on an even scale. Ying and yang, you know?”

I nod slowly. I don’t have the same opinion about my cigarette, but I understand the need to keep your life in control. It’s weird, the smoke brought back memories for me. Memories of my sister that I’ve keep inside. Maybe the reason I’ve been so hard on Billy is because I’ve been so hard on Buttercup. I’ve always thought that she never grew up. But why change that? If I remember back to my high school days, that was the best thing about her. I snicker to myself, thinking about the small matching tattoos we got on our hips. That thing looks so stupid now, but it makes me… Happy.

The rain doesn’t let up despite the shift in the mood. I bid Mandy goodbye and head back inside. She makes her way to her unmarked car, chain smoking the cigarettes. Maybe I’ll call her later. Maybe I’ll call Gar too… And Buttercup.

As I’m walking back to the courtroom, I’m stopped in the hall by Jack. He smirks down at me, his tall form almost overwhelming me. He then sniffs the air, “Blossom, my my, have you been smoking? Stressed out by the case?” He runs a hand down my side, petting over my hip.

I frown at Jack, pushing his hand aside. “Excuse me Jack, I have to get back to my client.” 

As I turn away to leave him, he skids towards my front again, “What’s the rush? You know, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while now-”

“That’s nice Jack, but we’re in court. We can talk later, now excuse me.” I push past him. He seems to be trying really hard to keep me from the courtroom. I’m looking back at him suspiciously when it clicks, “You’re trying to keep me…” I quickly push open the doors, finding most of the courtroom still empty. Save for a few disturbed looking people and Billy sitting completely naked in his chair. I throw down my note pad with an angry grunt, turning towards Jack, “You’re an asshole Jack!” He just gives a sheepish shrug.

I make my way into the courtroom, sprinting past the viewing area back to my desk. Billy looks up at me with a broad smile, “Hey Blossom! Pretty great huh-”

“No, it’s not fucking great! Where are your clothes?” I ask with exasperation. He’s taken aback by my anger. He shifts in his seat, looking down in a sheepish, cartoony manner.

“Oh, uhm. Jack told me to prove to the jury when they come back inside that my nudity is a normal thing. Just like you said! So I stripped-”

“Where are your clothes Billy? For the love of God…”

Billy seems to think hard about it, sticking his tongue from his mouth. He doesn’t know, oh my God he doesn’t know. I look around the courtroom. I can make out his hat hanging from a light fixture on the wall. I collapse in my chair. The whole case is going to be lost. Right here, right now… Jack won, the sneaky bastard. I think about my next move. There may be a way to save this case if I can just pick something soon…

Ok ok, just stay calm. I can do this… The clothes have to be around the courtroom somewhere. I blink, looking around with my X-Ray vision. My eyes tingle with the sudden intensity. It’s been a long time since I’ve used these powers. Giving a grunt, I do a quick scan of the courtroom. I see that his undershirt is stuffed under the judge’s booth. I quickly fly over, pushing Red Guy’s seat aside and grabbing it. As I look for the rest, I pass by Billy, dropping the shirt with him, “Put it on Billy! Quickly!”

Billy nods, doing what he’s told. At least he’s good for something… I scan over the room again, finding his shoes have been stuffed under the Jury’s booth. I quickly hand them to Billy, continuing my search. Pants pants… I need to find him pants.

I have no such luck. Fortunately though, I notice his boxers are hanging from the rafters up near the windows. I quickly dart up and snatch them. I take in a small bit of Billy’s smell and already feel a bit disgusted. “Billy, heads up!” I drop the boxers, which land stupidly upon his head. He gives a boyish giggle and then pulls them on.

Ok ok, so now I just need a jacket and pants… Pants pants.

That’s when I hear it. The jury is coming back down the hall, and only thanks to my super hearing do I hear them. Crap crap! I look around desperately for Billy’s pants to no avail. They’re not in the room. I grumble with annoyance as I zip back to Billy, push him into his chair and drop my coat over his legs.

“Oh please let this work…”

Finally, I hear people start to come back in. Red Guy skips his way back into the courtroom, plopping up on the judge’s booth. Jack comes in as well, whistling a little tune to himself as he sits back into the prosecutor’s chair. He looks over towards us and blinks, frowning. I guess he doesn’t notice Billy’s lack of pants. Thankfully, it seems Red Guy and the jury don’t either.

I may be saved…

“Ok people! Next witness is… Billy.”

Oh.

“Listen, Judge Red Guy… Billy isn’t going to be that great of a witness. I uh, think we should hold off on bringing him on the stand.”

“Oh, and why’s that?” Red Guy asks. He’s giving me this look that stares right into my soul. I think he knows. Maybe he’s in on it. Red Guy jumps up on the judge’s chair on his knees, spinning around it playfully as he laughs.

I groan, holding Billy by the arm with my super strength as he tries to get up. “Blossom, they need me on the stand.”

“Billy, please stay seated.”

“BILLY! GET ON THIS STAND!” Screams Red Guy, spinning happily in his insane, goofy state.

I sigh, letting him go. My jacket slips off him.

I realize something as Billy gets up and starts walking towards the witness stand. I realize that this whole court system is completely fucked up. I mean, how are you going to put a guy like Red Guy in charge of an intricate and delicate system of checks and balances? As the gasps are heard from the jury and spectators, and as the case slips further and further away from my fingertips. I begin to realize that I don’t want to be here. At all. This job is ridiculous, and it makes no sense for me to continue when I could be doing more productive things. Red Guy is slamming on the javel, barking “Guilty! Guilty!” Before the jury even has time to deliberate. He’s right though… No way Billy’s walking away from this.

An hour later and its all over. I leave the courtroom, defeated and broken. I know its not TERRIBLE to lose one case, but I’ve always had this problem with confidence I think... 

I find my way to a bar patio to sulk, sipping on my 2nd glass of red wine as I gaze lazily over my phone. The rain is coming down, but at least I’m not getting wet. Its funny. I called it earlier that I was going to lose the case, but its always during the middle of it that I get the hop to keep moving on. As I browse, I realize I want some company. The company of a friend.

You know, I haven’t heard my sister’s voice in a long time. And after all that nostalgia smoking with Mandy, I figure its time to catch up. I click through my phone, finding Buttercup’s number within. I press talk and hold the phone up to my ear. It rings for a while. She doesn’t pick up. It goes to voice messaging.

“Yeah, this is Buttercup. Leave a message.”

“H-hey Buttercup. Listen, I’ve had a rough day at work and I was wondering if I could come chill with you. I know I have been kinda mean to you lately, with your choices and all… But I just want you to know I love you.” I pause for a moment, thinking… “Actually, I may just come by if that’s alright. It’s been awhile since we had a sister to sister conversation, and I wanna catch up. So… I guess you gotta deal with me now, heheh.”

I hang up at that point, smiling to myself. Yeah, this will be good. Hailing a cab, I make my way to Buttercup’s apartment. She lived in this shitty little complex on the East side, but she had always claimed that she liked the feel of it. As the cabbie pulls over, I see it hasn’t changed much. I sprint over towards the front entrance so I don’t get caught in the rain.

Walking inside, I can hear the whirring of a loud air conditioner, plus the crying of a baby. The whole hallway feels dank and dark. I make my way up to Buttercup’s floor, suddenly getting this weird sensation in my belly. Maybe I’m just getting nervous seeing Buttercup after so long, but… Something’s not right. I’m not sure what it is, but I can’t place it. I finally arrive outside Buttercup’s apartment.

I give a faint knock, “Buttercup? Its me-” The door cracks open a bit with the knock. There’s a fluttery white light coming from inside. You can already tell it’s the noise of a TV.

I stare at the crack in the door for a moment, feeling my heart start to beat faster with every second I wait. I push open the door, hearing a loud creak echo throughout her living area. I step inside, looking around. My body freezes in place as I take in my surroundings. I feel that all too familiar tremble in my legs. The kind I got whenever my sisters and I ever fought Him. Only, this was different. More sinister...

The place is a mess. And not the usual Buttercup mess, but something more frightening. The TV is on, white noise blasting at full volume. I go over and turn it down a bit, but I leave it on seeing as its my only light source in the room. There’s a lamp knocked over onto the carpet, the bulb busted open from the fall. “Buttercup?!” I call out, my voice giving an audible crack. I’m afraid. I know what this means. I’m scared too.

Soon enough, I feel as if I shouldn’t have my back to anything. I get this tingling sensation that someone is going to come behind me. I retreat, pushing back into a corner so that I have full awareness of my surroundings. Looking around the room once more, I notice that there’s a video tape sitting inside an old VHS player. On the front is written in big red letters, “POLICE”

I can see two more rooms that haven’t been explored yet. Both are encompassed in complete darkness. I can’t stop breathing hard, my hands shaking. Oh no, where is she? Where’s my sister?

“Buttercup!” I yell out again. Somewhere in the apartment complex, a dog starts barking. No no no, she can’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. 

I take a deep breath. Come on come on, I can do this. My palms are pressed up against the wall. I feel like I’ll be absorbed into it if I stay here long enough. I huff out breath after breath, closing my eyes as I try to focus, get my powers straight. Opening them again, I scan over Buttercup’s apartment with my X-Ray vision. Everything looks so still, so quiet… I’m not sure which is worse, knowing that there’s a bad guy in here or knowing that I’m too late.

I peel myself off the wall, looking around for any clues to help me find my sister in the other rooms. I approach her bedroom first, each step causing the floor to creak. As I get closer, I begin to hear music. Its light and haunting, a rhythmic guitar followed by ghostly lyrics.

The music is coming from an old record player. I flip the switch for her light. It doesn’t turn on. The X-Ray helps me to see, but the whole room is covered in a black layer. I can make out details and objects, but I can’t tell what’s on the wall… If there’s blood. If there’s blood… I can’t see it.

By this time it hits me. I reach into my pocket, dialing Mandy’s number. She picks up after a few rings.

“What?” In her usual grumpy tone.  
“M-Mandy? I need help…”

“What’s wrong?”

I can’t stop the tears from flowing, “Mandy, I’m in my sister’s apartment and she’s gone. There looks like there was a scuffle and… And I can’t find her. Please help me.”

“Ok ok. Stay put right where you are. I’m getting Gar and the boys together. Are you still a good fighter?”

“I haven’t fought crime in years…”

“Whatever, you can take them. Just get somewhere safe and wait for us. I’ll look up Buttercup’s address from here.”

I keep the call on so Mandy can stay in touch. Turning out from the room, I glance at the video tape sticking out from the VHS. That’s when you notice the lights in the bathroom flickering on and off. 

I make my way away from the television to look into the bathroom. I peek around the corner sheepishly, gazing in towards the bathroom, “Buttercup? Are you ok?” I don’t know why I'm asking these stupid questions. I just want to hear her. I just want to hear that raspy voice call me an idiot for cock-blocking her. Please, just let her be ok and trying to scare me. Please be here...

Then I see it. Scrawled on the mirror in a black tar like substance are the words, “MINE NOW.” Through the reflection I can see my face. My eyes are wide with terror, my mouth agape, my skin pale...

I collapse onto my knees, my feet no longer having the weight to support me. The lights flicker on and off from the bathroom, but I can’t stop myself from scooting backwards. Eventually, I’m huddled in the middle of the living room, my knees to my chest. The distant sounds of sirens start to build, and that dog is still barking… But everything feels… Still. Its lifeless in here. I inhale, crawling over towards the VHS on my hands and knees.

I have to face facts. Buttercup was taken from this apartment is in danger. This tape may have evidence I can use to find her… Or… It could be a recording of someone brutally murdering my sister just to torture me. Do I want to see that? Do I want to see my sister’s final moments of agony? I feel my tears continuing to flow freely from my face, and I reach up to wipe them with the cuff of my coat. I breath in, looking at the tape.

I push in the tape. The screen goes black for a moment. There’s a shuffling sound, like someone’s messing with the camera. Eventually it lifts upwards, showing Buttercup sitting in a wooden chair, hands bound behind her.

She looks awful. Buttercup always had a very punky look to her, but now she was beaten and shivering. Most of her piercings have been yanked from her face, leaving her a mess of blood and bruises. Her clothes are torn in places, and she’s whimpering softly as she looks straight down, unable to lift her eyes to her captor.

“Do you know who I am?” The voice that speaks is distorted. Blossom can’t make anything out from it. 

“N-no.” Answers my sister. She softly sobs, fidgeting in her chair.

“Buttercup.”

She doesn’t answer.

“Buttercup.”

“W-what?”

“Can you use your powers?”

“No, I can’t…”

“Why not?”

“I-I don’t know! You took them away!” She yells out at him, shifting in her seat. She reacts to something she sees off camera, suddenly reeling back, her eyes filled with terror. She tries to maneuver her chair back, looking away from her captor.

“Buttercup. Buttercup, are you scared? Do you want to know how I took away your powers?”

“I am scared. I’ve never felt… I can’t… How?”

The tape cuts off there. Its silent for a moment before a face flashes on the screen. Buttercup’s yells pierce through my ears, making me fall back in a gasp as her terrifying screams of complete and utter pain crackle the speakers on the tv. The feedback is going crazy, audio being blown out.

I curl up into a fetal position and sob, covering my ears with my hands. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.


	3. Ed 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Ed's first chapter. Ed is a down and out fry cook who used to be a bank robber. Now, after being the foot rest of his boss Pops, he gets the chance to make some real money on a job.]

-Ed-

Pops is yelling at me again.

I’m trying my best to block him out, but as I continue to wipe my favorite spot at the diner’s bar, his voice just gets louder and more mean. I wish Eddy was here. Eddy would yell, but at least he’d say I was doing good sometimes too. Eddy is always busy with police stuff nowadays, so he doesn’t have time for Ed.

“You’ll never amount to nothin’ boy! They should have kept your stupid ass in jail. Maybe there ya woulda finally learned something! Instead you’re the worst fucking employee I have.”

Pops sure likes to tell me how better off in jail I would be. I’m not sure if that’s true. In jail, I wasn’t able to see my friends. Though, now that I think about… I don’t see them now. I get sad as my small strokes wiping the table slow down. Pops shakes his head and walks away from me. Pops is always mean, but he got meaner after the other day. That superhero Beast Boy came in and told Pops to leave me alone. It made me feel good that someone cares about me for once.

I sigh as I finish up my cleaning duties. Pops doesn’t seem to notice, so I treat myself to a slice of Buttered Toast. I sit down at the bar area, about to dig in when I notice something out of the corner of my eye.

There’s a man sitting at a booth staring at me. He’s a large man, round at the stomach. He has a bald head but a large, fluffy red beard. He’s wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses. He sees me staring back and looks out the window. The glare from the setting sun blocks out his eyes.

I decide to go over and talk to the man. I wipe my dirty hands on my apron and walk over to him. “Hi, my name is Ed! What’s-”

“Not so loud. Sit down.” He mumbles out, lifting his hand to his face.

“W-what?” I ask. This guy is acting pretty weird. I lift my hand to my face, scratching under the little bit of scruff I have under my small chin. I smile at him, to make him feel more comfortable, but he just shakes his head at me. 

“Ed, sit down. I know who you are. I know that you and your boys Eddy and Edd used to knock over armored trucks and banks. I know all about you three. You want to listen to what I have to say, so sit down.”

I sit down. I can feel my palms becoming sweaty. It’s like they do when Pops yells at me or when the comic book shop opens. How does this guy know about Eddy and Edd? Eddy was so good at keeping his secret he was able to become a policeman. I breath slowly, looking straight at the man, “W-who are you?”

“My name is Dexter. You know who I am.”

“DEXTER-” I yell out. Dexter’s hand reaches up to grab my mouth before I get my words out. I gasp against his hand, muffling another, “Dexter!” Through his fingertips, just in case he didn’t hear me. Then I realize... He’s trying to be secretive or something. I nod at him, giving him a wink to let him know how sneaky secret I can be.

Dexter rolls his eyes at me, shaking his head as he takes his glasses off his face, “Listen Ed. I have a job for you. You got a reputation inside for being good muscle and being faithful to the job. I can’t discuss details here, but I’d like for you to do a job with me.”

I pause, looking at him as he pulls his hand away from my mouth. I look down to the table, trying to put things together. This doesn’t make sense. How does he know about my past? How does he know about Eddy? I didn’t tell anybody about those secrets. Even in prison I did what Eddy said I should do, ‘Keep your trap shut.’

I lift my eyes back to him. He’s just staring at me. “H-How do you know so much about me? About Eddy?” I glance over to Pops. He’s giving me his mad look. I know what that means. He wants me to get back to work.

Dexter smiles. He scratches under his beard, giving a nod towards the door. “You smoke right? Come outside and we’ll talk.”

I follow him as he steps out of the booth. He’s much shorter than me, but then again I’m really tall. I stand a few feet over him, walking slowly after him as he waddles towards the front door. His feet give this weird shuffling sound as we make our way out.

He brings me to the middle of Pops’ parking lot. We light up and he starts talking, “After I got cut from the stream, I was broke. I had all the knowledge and a lab to use it in, but nothing of value… No money. Once I graduated high school I skipped college and started building a new lab. My lab at my parents place was too open, too exposed… I started fresh, made a business plan and got in touch with some contacts.” He pauses to take a puff, “I learned about you and your crew while searching through these lists. It stated that you were in prison, Edd was dead and that Eddy was now a part of the TPD.”

“But… But Eddy kept that super secret-”

“Just because he wasn’t convicted doesn’t mean people didn’t have their suspicions. Most people who have studied your crew know that Eddy was the third man. There just wasn’t enough to bring him in when the job went sour. Plus, Eddy walked away with the loot. He was able to buy himself in anywhere. What better place than the law? Let me ask you something Ed. Have you ever seen a cent of that loot you spent so much time in jail for?”

I feel myself getting angry. Like I do when there’s a rock in my shoe or something. I give him a frown and a furrowed brow, “That’s not true! Eddy’s my friend! He cares for me!”

“When’s the last time you saw him?”

“W-what?”

“The last time you saw him. The last time you talked to him. I know it hasn’t been in the last few days, because I have people watching you. He hasn’t called, he hasn’t written, hell he hasn’t even googled you.” I begin to realize that this Dexter person has a lot more smarts than me. He has smart people working for him. He knows everything and more. “Ed, your faithfulness is commendable, it really is, but you’re giving it to the wrong person. Eddy is a lying, cheating, sneaky shit of a detective, and you don’t deserve to be treated like that by him.” I begin to feel a heaviness in my chest, like someone hit me with a hammer. Everything he says is right. Everything I feel now is what he's saying. Its like he can see into me and read me.

I sit down. Dexter does a light jog over to me, lowering a hand on my shoulder, “Ed, I want to offer you something where you can make some real money. Something that can give you a chance at a new life, not scrubbing away at Pops’ dirty dishes. All I need you for is a day’s worth of work, that’s all. You’ll make enough money so you don’t have to worry ever again.”

I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. I wish Double D was here. He would tell me if this is a good idea or a bad idea. I don’t feel smart enough, or wise enough to think of a right answer. Dexter pulls me to my feet. He grunts, giving a wipe of his brow as he stands up.

Fuck it...

I feel as if my world has opened up just a bit. I dust myself off, taking off my apron and throwing it down onto the ground. I look up to Dexter, taking a long drag on my smoke before snubbing that out as well. “What’s the job?” I ask, giving a small smile.

Dexter claps his hands ecstatically, “That’s what I’m talking about!” He comes around and slaps me on the back. He then reels back, looking towards his hand with a pained expression, “Jesus, you really are build like a rock, aren’t you?” He laughs it off, leading me on to his SUV. I follow behind, ignoring Pops as I hear him burst through the front door of his Diner, yelling for me.

Dexter pop’s the back door to his black SUV, leaning inside to draw out a duffel bag. He opens it up.

I stagger back a bit at what he shows me. It’s completely full of money with a Glock sitting on top of it. He reaches in and hands me the Glock, “That’s for you. You won’t need it, but its better to be safe. This money is 25%. You’ll get the rest when the job is done.” He looks towards me to see if I have any questions. I feel like I’m in school again, disappointing my teachers.

“Uhm… How much is that?”

“10,000 in tens and twenties. This job means a lot to me. Its the beginning of a strong relationship with a future client.” He stares at me for a moment, then looks around the car park, “I deal in high tech weaponry and armor Ed. The kind you see on TV and movies. I was always building inventions and gadgets in my lab that were applicable for military use, but I don’t want the fucking government getting it’s grubby hands on my work. I rather deal in small increments. This deal is one of those increments that’ll evolve into a beautiful friendship. Like we have now.” He reaches out to shake my hand.

I shake it hesitantly. He nods, zipping up the bag again and handing it to me. “I’ll have someone come pick you up at eight AM tomorrow. Dress down so we don’t draw attention. Got it?”

“Y-yes sir.”

“That’s what I like to hear Ed!” And before I can ask another question, he’s in his SUV pulling away. I look down at the gun and realize I’m holding a gun. I shove it in the back of my pants, biting my lip to make sure a cop isn’t around.

As I watch Dexter drive away, I realize my stomach is still churning. I turn around towards Pops’ Diner and head back inside. Pops is glaring at me once I come in. His arms are crossed and he’s tapping his foot. “You done with your break boy? Cause I have about a hundred dishes that need washing.”

I’m feeling pretty good, so I walk past Pops and return to my spot. He looks at me with shock as I ignore him. My buttered toast is still there, but the butter has soaked the toast into a soggy shape. I shrug, lifting my fork and stabbing it in one swift stroke. I then lift it to my mouth and swallow it whole. Gulping it down, I turn towards Pops. “Now I’m done!”

“You’re treading on thin ice Ed. Any other manager would have fired you for walking out on your tables and talking to some drug dealer. What’s he selling ya huh? Is that’s what’s in the bag?”

I clutch the bag to my chest. He’s not looking in my bag. “I-It’s not drugs Pops.” I stand up from my chair, ready to get up and leave.

“No one brings drugs into my diner. Give me that bag!”

“No!”

Pops lunges for my bag, pulling on the strap to try and free it from my grasp. A few of the customers are looking on amused as Pops tries to wrestle the bag from my grasp. I give a snarl, yanking it back away from him. He starts towards me again.

I take a few steps back, avoiding Pops as he slinks ever closer to me. I see a way to run around some of the inner tables, so I make a go for it, sprinting around towards the front door and bursting outside before Pops can even react. I’m already sprinting down the street towards home when I hear Pops from behind me, hanging his head out from the front door, “You’re fired Ed! You’re fired! Don’t ever come back.!”

That’s ok with me.

After I find my way to my apartment, I push the pizza and comics off my bed to look at the money. I zip open the bag, peering at all the cash. Eddy would freak if he saw this. I take out a stack, flipping though bill after bill. This is more money than I’ve ever seen! I could maybe live to be an old man with this money. I think… How much money do old men need? I zip the duffel bag up and push it under my bed.

I sit down and think. I pull the gun from my pants, looking at it. Guns were lighter than I remembered. Maybe its because I got a lot more strong when I was in prison. I slide the clip out from the grip. Sixteen… Seventeen… Uh, a lot of bullets were in there. I load the pistol back up and cock it, setting it on my bedside table.

How did Dexter know so much about me? Is there something in my room that could have told him what I was doing? What I was thinking? I scratch my head, turning on the TV as I think. The news is rambling about a kidnapping or something. I’m not really watching. I’m gazing around my room, curious about what my room is telling to strangers.

As the TV rambles on about the kidnapping victim, bringing out her two crying sisters for the camera, I find myself drifting off to sleep. I let my eyes close slowly, getting a last glimpse of the victim. She’s got black hair and green eyes… She’s kind of punky…

I awake to my phone ringing. I pull out my cell and answer. “Showtime. Get your things. We’re waiting out front.”

I quickly shoot up, making my way to my closet to put on a new pair of clothes. Dress down, dress down. I guess he means baggy clothes right? I put on a pair of baggy pants and my old green jacket that’s still way too big for me. Baggy enough now. I tighten my belt, put on my sneakers and then stuff my gun in my pants. 

As I make my way downstairs, I notice a younger man awaiting me. He’s a blonde with blue eyes. He has a small goatee and is wearing a Hawaiian shirt with slacks. He gives me a nod, taking a small toke on a joint before stubbing it out, “Johnny. You?”

“Uh, Ed.”

“Welcome.” He then turns towards the street. I follow him outside, finding Dexter sitting in the passenger seat of a black sedan. He turns to me, “We’re meeting the shipment truck on the freeway. Get in.”

I hop in the back, scooting over to let Johnny in. The driver is someone I don’t recognize. He’s got black hair and what looks like to be a robotic arm coming from the sleeve of his red jacket.

Its silent for a while in the car. Dexter doesn’t speak to me and the other two don’t speak to me. I lean forward, placing my hand on Dexter’s shoulder, “Uhm, who are these guys?”

“Oh, my apologies. To your right is Johnny Test. You may know him from the stream.” Dexter looks behind him, giving a smirk to Test as he frowns at Dexter. Test leans forward, “Don’t tell this idiot my name Dex. I’m only doing this for my sisters.”

Dexter ignores him, “Test’s sisters are looking for ways to advance their technology in their lab, and I offered to help in exchange for Test’s services.” Johnny Test doesn’t seem to be happy about this exchange. He lights up another joint, turning away to look out the window. Dexter coughs a bit, “Put that out you idiot.” Test rolls down his window and flicks out the joint. 

I look to the driver. Dexter reaches over and pats him on the back, “This, my friend, is Generator Rex.” Dexter then frowns, “Rex, your arm is showing.”

Rex turns to his arm, “Huh? Oh right…” His arm then starts to morph to a normal arm. 

“Rex is looking to upgrade his nanites. A feat I’m very willing to do, if he does his job right.”

It seems like everyone under Dexter’s hand has something they need. I guess money is what I need but… Am I that simple?

We pull over on the side of the freeway behind a small white truck. The man inside the truck hops out. He’s unfamiliar. He then walks to the curb and then hops the fence, walking away on foot. “That’s you Ed. Get in the truck and follow us.”

“Oh, uh… Ok.”

I get out of the car and approach the truck. Once Dexter’s crew are back on the road, I follow quickly behind. 

We eventually drive out of Townsville and continue towards the countryside. It’s not long before we’re on a long stretch of road. Further down, a couple of black SUVs sit waiting for us. We pull over and Dexter walks over towards my cab, “Ready?” I nod, “What do you wanna do?”

“I’ll stay with the van, if that’s alright Dexter…” I tell him. He thinks for a moment, giving a nod and slapping the side of the cab. “Good man. When I wave, come up.”

Dexter walks away from the truck, making his way back to the black sedan. He pops the trunk, pulling out what seems to be two black rifles. I panic for a moment, thinking that Dexter is about to shoot them. But he grips them from the stock, walking over to three people who have appeared in the distance.

The person in the middle has a beanie on his head. Its… Its hard to tell from where I am, but something’s up with his face. He’s kind of lanky, but moves forward to meet Dexter. He’s holding what looks to be a briefcase. He shows Dexter from afar and then points to one of his vans.

The two who are following him have distinct styles. One is a black girl with a blue tank top on. She takes one of the rifles and inspects it. The other is a blond white guy with a orange hoodie. He takes the other one. Dexter and the beanie man shake hands when Dexter’s become free.

Dexter and the beanie man talk for a while. It goes on for a few minutes before Dexter looks back to me and waves. I start the engine, pulling up towards the middle of the trade off. I get a better look at the three. The man in the middle looks familiar, but he has a horrible burn scar that stretches along his face and what seems to be his hand.

I get out of the car and walk over towards Dexter.

“Ed?”

I lift my head when I hear my name called. The man in the beanie is staring at me with wide eyes. I focus on him, giving a blink as I realize who it is.

“The fuck is this? You trying to fuck with me?” Edd pulls a revolver from his pocket and points it at Dexter. 

Dexter lifts his hands defensively going, “Whoa whoa whoa…”

Suddenly, everyone is pulling their weapons. I look back to see Rex and Johnny nervously pointing their guns from behind the sedan. Edd’s men do the same. They throw down Dexter’s rifles and draw their weapons.

“Double D?! I thought you were dead!” I yell out, raising my hands in surrender as I walk towards the three. Edd drifts his pistol over to me. I stop once he points it towards me, “Yeah, I thought I was too. But you two ASSHOLES left me in that burning van! Its a miracle I escaped at all.” His hand is shaking. 

He grits his teeth, walking over to me as he presses the barrel of his gun to my head. “I don’t know why you always listened to Eddy. He was a moron. Even when you could see me trapped inside, begging for help, you still followed him when he told you to ditch me… We are… We were friends Ed.” I try to stay focused on what Edd is saying, but its hard when a gun is pressed to your head. I feel my legs shaking from under me. “So what is this? Trying to fuck the deal up by bringing him here?”

“No! Not at all! This is just a coincidence!” Dexter yells, stepping up, “I thought you were dead too… How was I supposed to know you’ve been in hiding all this time?”

“Aren’t you Dexter? Boy genius?”

“I swear, I had no idea that you were still alive. I mean, I had heard rumors, but if I based my business on the trust of rumors, I wouldn’t be in business that long.”

“Well, my superior has his ways of making people like me disappear.” Edd responds, lowering his gun. He looks back to me, “I hate you Ed, but I can’t kill you. We’ve known each other too long. If you see Eddy, tell him to fuck himself.” He pushes his revolver in in his pocket, looking towards his two guards. “Its alright Four and Five. Lower your guns…”

Dexter looks to me and then looks back towards his men. The two nod and walk forward, lowering their guns as well.

I want to tell him I’m sorry, that he’s right. I shouldn’t have listened to Eddy. Edd gives me the coldest look as he’s walking away. I lower my head in shame, my hands falling by my sides. I can’t say it.

There’s a tug behind me. I feel something leave my trousers. Then I see that I’ve grown a third arm- No, that’s Dexter.

Dexter fires a shot at Edd, hitting him in the back of the head. His head pops with gore, his blood and brains splashing against one of his black SUVs. His arms go up as if trying to catch something, but they twitch and go lifeless as he tumbles forward. I stand still. I don’t know… I don’t know what’s happening.

Then a barrage of gunfire explodes on both my sides. Rex and Test are moving to either side of me, unloading on Four and Five with their handguns. The two fall forward, trying to reel back to shoot at Dexter and his crew. But it’s too late. Rex and Test continue to approach the two, emptying their clips into their bodies as they stand over them.

I lose my legs… I can’t… As Edd slumps against the SUV, he falls backwards, giving me a look at his face. His eyes are lifeless, mouth agape. He’s dead. I’m on my knees, staring at Edd’s body.

“Ok, that’s taken care of. Get the money.”

I crawl towards Edd’s body, on my hands and knees as I feel a wetness in my eyes. I’m finding it hard to breathe as I get closer, as if I’m out in space without a space helmet. I place a hand on Edd, giving him a shake, “E-Edd? Double D?”

“Ed. Get away from him.” I look behind me to see Dexter watching me, still gripping my pistol. Rex and Test are already moving the cash, taking duffel bag after bag. I place my hand on Edd’s chest. I can feel his revolver inside. Its been a while… But I could...

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the truck of one of the SUVs. Someone’s in there. The four of us stop and look at it. Dexter speaks up, “Ed, see what that is.”

Every ounce of me wants to take Double D’s gun and murder that bastard Dexter. I lift my sleeve to my eyes, wiping my tears from my face. Dexter rolls his eyes, pointing his gun loosely at me, “Go on…”

I stand up, walking towards the SUV where the shaking is coming from. I open the trunk and look inside.

It’s a girl. In fact… It’s a girl I recognize.

Dexter walks over to me when he notices my surprise. He reels back with a grunt as he sees her. “Who the fuck is that?” He asks me… Like we’re still friends…

“Its the Powerpuff Girl from TV. The one who got kidnapped by the Ben 10 killer…” I mumble out, looking down at her. Her big green eyes stare up at me. She muffles out what sounds like a, ‘Help me.’ She’s scared… She’s scared more than I remember her ever being. Aren’t these girls supposed to be super powered? She has seen better days, that’s for sure. She stares up at us, bound by the mouth and arms, wiggling around inside the trunk. Her face looks beaten, red spots bleeding on her face from where some piercings were yanked from her. There are some burns on her body as well...

Dexter grumbles, placing the gun in my hand. “We don’t need any witnesses. Kill her.” I look to him with a blank stare, “What? Oh don’t give me that. You and your crew killed plenty of people when you were robbing banks and ripping people off. What’s one more? What’s cutting ties with bad blood?”

“Double D wasn’t bad blood…”

“Whatever. We can’t have her knowing what happened here. If word got out, I’d be done. Get rid of her and grow up.” He starts to walk away, turning his back to me. Rex and Test are over by the truck.

My body is shaking with rage. I thought Dexter might understand me. That he might help me. He’s just using me to his own ends… Like people always do. I raise my gun towards Dexter, my hand shaking.

“Boss! Lookout!”

I fire two shots. One hits Dexter through the leg, forcing him to collapse in a sudden burst of pain and agony. The other hits him in the gut. Dexter’s down for the count for now. I reach in and grab the Powerpuff Girl by her arm, tugging her out of the trunk and sliding her behind the car.

As I duck behind it, I suddenly hear bullets firing in my direction. There are hard pings and pangs against the frame of the SUV. Peppered in with the loud screams of Dexter’s pain. I smile to myself a bit. I’m feeling like the old me again. Buttercup is just staring at me.

I wait for a pause in the shooting and then reach over the SUV, firing randomly out towards the white truck. After a few shots to suppress, I stand up and aim. Test is firing from behind the white truck, but he’s blind firing. Can’t hit him. Where’s Rex?

I hear a muffled yelp and then from the corner of my eye I see a smirking Rex marching towards me, ready to fire. Buttercup juts out her leg, tripping Rex before me. The gun clumsily slides away from him, and he lays forward at my feet. 

I point the barrel down towards Rex, lifting my hand to my face to avoid getting gore in my eyes. Buttercup wiggles in her spot, muffling a scream. I pull the trigger as he tries to scramble to get up. The bullet blasts open Rex’s head, splattering his blood across my jacket and shirt. Buttercup gets some too, and it looks like it visibly sickens her. She turns away, closing her eyes with a shiver.

After dealing with Rex, I peek from the SUV, trying to get a good look at Johnny. I don’t see him… 

Then I hear an engine start. The white truck pulls back a bit, turns, and then starts driving away. I stand up to see Johnny Test leave his boss in the middle of the road while he takes off in a van full of advanced hardware. I sigh, realizing that it’s over. 

I walk over to Buttercup, pulling a switchblade out from my pocket. She flinches, pulling back, “Its ok, I’m not gonna hurt you.” I tell her, cutting her binds and mouth gag.

She stands up slowly, rubbing her arm as she turns away from me. “Thanks…” She walks off a bit, trying to get away from the mess before her. I turn back to Dexter. He’s crawling towards the black sedan, a small trail of blood following him from behind. I approach him, gun in hand. He turns to me…

“W-Wait! Ed! Just wait a second…” He lifts his hand. “I get it, ok, I get it you're pissed about Edd. But we can work this out. Those SUVs are filled with money. 5 Million dollars worth in untraceable bills. You take it. Take all of it. Just leave me with a cell phone, and we’ll never see each other again… I won’t come after you or nothing.”

I poise my gun towards him, aiming right for his head. 

“Don’t do this Ed! I’m your only friend out here… You can’t trust Johnny to not hold a grudge, and you sure as hell can’t trust that Powerpuff. Why was she in the trunk anyways?” He holds his wound, breathing hard. “G-give me a chance here Ed, I’m begging you…”

I move forward, getting closer with the gun, “Why did you kill Edd? What was the meaning? He was ready to do the deal!”

Dexter lifts his hand to me, panting hard in fear, “Ok ok… Listen. I knew that guy was going to be Double D, alright? I knew he was going to be here. And I knew that he would let his guard down once he saw you. It was a move. It was a stupid play, and I’m sorry, ok? I never planned to sell Double D those guns. They’re fake. I was waiting for a deal to pop up so I could score some cash and get my business started. I just figured that you cut ties with your old friends. That you’d be willing to do anything for some money… I was wrong.”

Buttercup has approached us. She’s hugging herself, looking down towards Dexter. “You were the one who killed Edd?” There’s a pause. He nods to her. She then turns to me, tears still in her eyes, “You should let him go.”

What?

“He killed my friend!” I yell at her. The road goes quiet with a pause. I feel confused. She doesn’t know though. She doesn’t get it, “Why should I release the guy who killed one of my best friends?”

“Because your best friend, and the guy he works for, are monsters. And you’re starting to look like one too…” She says, wiping her eyes with her arm. “You’re the one with the gun though. It’s your decision.” She then walks off, leaving me to my choice. I look back to Dexter. He’s getting paler by the minute.

I take a deep breath, and lower my gun. I can see the tension in Dexter’s face literally leave his body like his blood is. I look back to Rex’s body, walking over towards him and pushing him over. I dig through his pockets until I find his cell phone. I pick it up and then walk over towards Dexter. I place it on his chest and then walk away, stuffing my gun in my coat pocket.

I look to Buttercup, who’s waiting for me, “What now?” She asks, lifting her eyes to me. At least she can look at me now…

“Uhm… I dunno. I’m taking this money, but I can give you a ride somewhere.”

“I shouldn’t associate with criminals…”

“Oh, ok-”

“But it looks like I don’t really have a choice.” She says, giving a shrug as she walks up to me. She looks me dead in the eyes. Her eyes are so bright… She’s… She’s really pretty. I feel myself flush a little and then turn away from her, walking towards one of the SUVs. I stop to look at Edd one more time, “Good bye Double D…” And then continue walking. 

Buttercup spits on him.

I slip into the driver’s seat, watching as Buttercup gets into the passenger seat. “So, Townsville?” She doesn’t respond. I turn on the engine, pulling away from Dexter as he dials a number on the cell phone and presses it to his ear. I pull away, leaving that mess in my rearview mirror. “I guess I’ll drop you off at the police station-”

“No, not there.”

“W-why?”

She turns to look at me, giving a shiver as she prepares to say it, “Cause he has someone on the inside.”


End file.
